Live recording from a concert organised by Bade Gulam Ali Khan Yadgar Sabha at Mumbai. Recording Date: 16th February 2001.

In 1985 he gave his first public performance at Bhopal. Since then he has graced many prominent music festivals in India and abroad. He has been active in Spic Macay programs for over 16 years. His international career began in 1990 and has performed in Europe, USA, Canada and Mexico including world music festivals in England (WOMAD) and Belgium (SFINKS). Uday has collaborated with artists from other disciplines and cultures including the contemporary dancer Astad Deboo, Ensemble Moderne in Germany and professional musicians from Spain and USA. Universities in Europe and USA have hosted his workshops. Additionally, he has contributed to the soundtracks of International Art films including Mani Kaul’s Cloud Door, Arun Khopkar's "Rasik Priya-Lok Priya" Aparna Sen’s Mr & Mrs Iyer and Amol Palekar’s Anahat.

T.M. Mcomb of The Medieval Music & Arts Foundation (www.medieval.org) comments thus about a recording of Uday Bhawalkar.

This is an extremely compelling performance, with powerful command and a wide range of nuance. It was quite eye-opening to me, and shows some of the ideas of Uday Bhawalkar's teacher Z.M. Dagar, yet in an overall style beginning to take on its own originality. Although not a Dagar per se, Bhawalkar (taught by Z. Fariduddin Dagar after Z.M. Dagar's death) is extremely impressive here. Uday Bhawalkar (b.1966) certainly makes one feel confident in the future of dhrupad, as he is obviously blessed with great talent.

Uday Bhawalkar - Dhrupad's new standard bearer

Uday Bhawalkar began studying music as a boy in Ujjain and longed to be a classical singer. At age 15 he was selected to study at the Dhrupad Kendra in Bhopal. By 18, he began to realise the depth and potential of this style and since then he has devoted himself to the development of the Dhrupad style. It has become his career and his life’s purpose.

Uday lived and studied Dhrupad for 12 years in the guru-shishya parampara under Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar and the Rudra-Veena Maestro Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar in Bhopal and Mumbai. His long training with his Gurus in the rigorous practice of Dhrupad helped Uday to appreciate the subtle nuances and majesty of this music.